A couple of weeks ago, I was at a tailgate party with a good friend. He was in charge of the music because he had the wireless speakers. Once the sound system was set up, we were inundated with Christmas music. I immediately made it clear that I didn’t want to hear holiday music two weeks before Thanksgiving. It took about an hour of griping, but I was finally successful in getting the genre of the music changed. However, the change in music did not come about before I was called “Scrooge” by several people.
First of all, I’m not a “Scrooge.” I want to celebrate Christmas, and I like to celebrate Christmas. But in the same way I don’t want to see political ads a year before an election, I don’t want to start celebrating Christmas until after Thanksgiving. It’s that simple. Thanksgiving dressed up like Christmas is just not the same. I might be wrong, but that wouldn’t change the way I feel.
It seems obvious to me that the push to start Christmas early is caused by the same desire that gets political ads on television a year before the election: Someone wants to sell you something. One group wants to sell you a candidate; the other wants you to buy their stuff to give as gifts. It’s hard to see any push to celebrate Christmas by anyone other than those seeking economic benefit from an extended season. Black Friday wasn’t created by lower income people looking for extra hours. It is what it is.
It seems that most of the people I see celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving are those that have lives that kind of look like Christmas year around to most folks. The Christmas season can be expensive, and the longer you celebrate it, the more it costs. It’s my guess that most low income people don’t have the time and money to celebrate Christmas for six weeks straight.
All of that being said, it’s now after Thanksgiving, so there’s no reason to put a brake on your Christmas celebration. I’m now listening to Christmas music and at least thinking about buying some presents. There’s really nothing wrong with celebrating the holidays as early as you want as long as you remember what the true spirit of the holidays is all about.
The true secret to happiness during the holiday season is keeping the focus on others and off of your self. Whenever the holidays become about you, it’s a lot harder to find satisfaction in the season. When your focus is on others and their happiness and well-being, then the spirit of the season will fill you up.
Spend the next few weeks trying to make the season special for those you love and come in contact with, and you’ll guarantee yourself a joyous holiday season. It’s unlikely that your holiday will be perfect, but worrying about others rather than yourself it a way to get as close as possible. That’s true for everyone, especially those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!
Bill James is a criminal defense lawyer and co founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway, and Fayetteville, Arkansas. His favorite ice cream is peanut butter and chocolate, and he believes the Snickers candy bar is the best candy every made. He can be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com